"Is that Lu Qingyun from the Third Peak?"
"It is rumored that Lu Qingyun is only sixteen years old so far, but she has already entered the top one hundred of the Third Peak. She possesses amazing talent and is expected to compete for the top ten of the Third Peak in the future, or even the top three."
"Longyu is actually provoking Lu Qingyun? He is truly arrogant!"
"I wonder how Longyu's final grades are? But he dares to be so bold, confronting Lu Qingyun, his performance must be not much better."
Longyu's blatant provocative gaze caused murmurs throughout the venue.
Wang Xiu, Nan Batian, and others who did not leave, all looked back and forth between Lu Qingyun and Longyu, even the attendants who came with Gezhen and the guards of the Blue Moon Lake did the same.
"Ah, a good grade."
Gezhen glanced at the puppet core obtained by Longyu, and in an instant, he understood.
"Fifteen pieces."
"Fifteen pieces?"
A hint of surprise appeared in Zhu Huaiyou's eyes.
Perhaps, a hundred points might not matter much to Zhu Huaiyou, but over a thousand points would be a significant gain as the wealth of the Blue Moon Lake members was generally around thirty thousand gold. With a thousand points, their wealth would increase by one-third.
"Nice, fifteen pieces."
Gezhen nodded, "For those under the age of twenty, the standard for a high-ranking member is twenty-five pieces, for an excellent member it is eight pieces, and for a regular member it is three pieces. With the fifteen puppet cores you obtained, you can directly become an excellent member and also receive four times the points, totaling six hundred points. Congratulations."
"Thank you, Brother Gezhen."
Gezhen then turned to Zhu Huaiyou, "Recommending an outstanding member will be rewarded with a thousand points. I hope you continue to work hard and discover more outstanding talents for our Blue Moon Lake."
"Yes, Brother Gezhen."
"Next."
"I'll go."
As soon as Gezhen finished speaking, Lu Qingyun was already eager to speak.
For the sake of Zhu Huaiyou, Longyu, and Lu Qingyun's face, the others had no intention to offend them and did not argue with her.
"Qinghe, go!"
Lu Qinghe nodded and headed towards the palace.
Most of the people present possessed a cultivation of the seventh level of refining reality. Lu Qinghe's cultivation, at the fifth level of refining reality, was simply unable to be hidden from them, causing the expressions of everyone to become somewhat strange...
Some of those whose status was not inferior to Lu Qingyun even showed contempt.
"Only at the level of refining reality five, and still dares to come out?"
"Now even the Blue Moon Lake is willing to recruit disciples at the level of refining reality five?"
"Haha, placing hopes on a disciple at the level of refining reality five... seems like a child's playacting."
"Can't demand too much, after all, Sister Lu Qingyun is only sixteen years old, it's understandable for her to do such childish things."
As the discussions continued, everyone's faces bore a look of anticipation.
"Shut up!"
At this moment, Lu Qingyun shouted loudly.
The clear voice, carrying the true energy shock that only a ninth level of refining reality expert could possess, reverberated throughout the palace, causing the entire palace to buzz.
"Who has something to say? I, Lu Qingyun, am waiting, what else do you have to gossip about!"
Lu Qingyun's cold gaze swept over the members of the Blue Moon Lake who were whispering, dominating the scene.
"Refining reality level nine!"
"Lu Qingyun has actually reached the ninth level of refining reality!?"
"Refining reality level nine, which is not terrifying. I, Luo Zhen, am also at the ninth level of refining reality, but she, Lu Qingyun... is only sixteen years old, to reach the ninth level of refining reality at sixteen, what kind of talent is this!?"
Everyone's thoughts were buzzing in their heads.
It was not Lu Qingyun's stern shout, but the cultivation at the ninth level of refining reality that she had displayed at this moment that was intimidating them.
For a while, the palace unexpectedly became eerily quiet.
The previously provoking Dragon Fish's brain was also stunned by Lu Qingyun, but, thinking of the results he had just achieved, he was unwilling to let it go so easily. He coldly snorted, "Senior Sister Lu Qingyun, you're so imposing. We were just discussing my results, what's wrong with that? Or perhaps, Senior Sister Lu Qingyun is embarrassed by her own results and doesn't want others to discuss it?"
"What's so secretive about it? Just ten puppet cores, right?"
"Heh, so Senior Sister Lu Qingyun also knows that she only got ten puppet cores."
"Ridiculous! When I was fifteen, I was able to obtain ten puppet cores in the Blue Moon Lake assessment. You are over eighteen and only got fifteen, what's there to boast about? If I were to take the assessment now, I could easily obtain not just fifteen, but even a hundred and sixty cores. I really don't understand what's so worthy of your pride in such a meager achievement."
With Lu Qingyun's words, everyone fell into deep thought. And the expression on Dragon Fish's face changed.
"It's not like that. You only got ten puppet cores in the Blue Moon Lake assessment back then, whereas I have fifteen. We should focus on the facts, not make baseless claims."
"Focusing on the facts? If you want to focus on the facts, then let's just do that! I am now a senior member of the Blue Moon Lake. He's just an outstanding member, what right does he have to be arrogant in front of me?"
After Lu Qingyun finished speaking, her eyes swept over Dragon Fish with a cold light, "Daring to disrespect a superior? Do you believe I can cut you down with one sword?"
"Hmph! Lu Qingyun, don't speak so arrogantly. Arrogant? I think you are the one being truly arrogant now!"
By helping Zhi Huaiyou accumulate a thousand points, she naturally could not afford to let it go; otherwise, how could she establish herself in the inner door in the future.
"Zhi Huaiyou, we have had some dealings before, but it seems that you have some opinions about me now? Fine! Since you have a problem, I'll give you a chance! Let's go to the sword-fighting stage!"
"Wow!"
The three words "sword-fighting stage" clearly held special significance in the minds of many inner disciples. For a moment, everyone became restless.
On the sword-fighting stage, life and death were at stake!
Lu Qingyun was really going to have a life-or-death duel with Zhi Huaiyou.
This Lu Qingyun's way of doing things was really domineering…
Zhi Huaiyou's face turned cold, "Lu Qingyun, do you really think that you're invincible after advancing to the ninth level of Tempering?"
"Talented? You call yourself talented! But in this world, there are too many talents who die young!"
"Stop talking nonsense, do you dare or not!"
"You…"
"Alright."
Just as the two of them were on the verge of a confrontation, the voice of the old town finally rang out.
"It's just a small matter. Why turn it into a life-and-death situation? Both of you are members of our Blue Moon Lake, and you wouldn't forget the rules of the Blue Moon Lake, would you? If you really want to determine who's better, just wait for our junior brother Lu Qinghe to come out, and it will be clear."
With a smile, the old town's gaze fell on Lu Qingyun, "I don't think junior brother Lu Qinghe is just an ordinary person. Sister Lu Qingyun, you should have confidence in him."
Being a core disciple, the old town had to give him face.
"I have full confidence in my brother."
"That's good."
The old town looked at Zhi Huaiyou and Dragon Fish, and said, "This matter is settled. It's just a clash of egos, there's no need to escalate it to a life-and-death situation."
"I naturally understand this. I will comply with senior brother's arrangements for everything."
Zhi Huaiyou responded.
At this time, Dragon Fish also dared not say anything. He had some understanding of Lu Qingyun's domineering style. Now, she was going to the sword-fighting stage with Zhi Huaiyou, and in the worst-case scenario, if she chose him next?
With his cultivation at the seventh level of Tempering, facing Lu Qingyun at the ninth level of Tempering was tantamount to a death sentence.
...
Time passed rapidly as they waited.
Inside the palace, Lu Qinghe was engaged in a life-and-death battle with those sixth-level puppets. He could probably guess a thing or two about the outside world, but all he could do was concentrate on killing the puppets. These puppets were like steel, impervious to swords and spears. Only by cutting off their cores could they be stopped, which gave a great advantage to Lu Qinghe, who practiced the Flowing Light Thirteen Swords.
Kill one, two appear; kill two, and four appear; kill four, and eight appear.
And so on.
At this moment, there were a terrifying sixteen puppets besieging Lu Qinghe.
Sixteen sixth-tier puppets were more terrifying to some cultivators than sixteen sixth-level Tempering cultivators.
The Essence Manifestation Technique and the Flowing Light Thirteen Swords were now being used to their fullest.
But even so, it wasn't enough!
In his mind, the shadow of the Green Pingsword was clearly visible. The movements of the sixteen sixth-level puppets were so clear that every movement they made, every turn of the air currents, could be accurately reflected in his mind.
"Break!"
With a long roar, light flowed in every direction.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Three puppets were shattered at the same time.
Their cores were pierced by a single sword.
"Flowing Light!"
The three-tier puppet was shattered, the pressure dropped sharply, and Lu Qinghe's sword energy was radiating in all directions. In an instant, another three six-tier puppets were pierced by a sword.
Insightful.
Lu Qinghe had already brought his perception to the extreme.
Any tiny flaw in the sixteen six-tier puppets would be seized and utilized by him, turning it into a crucial turning point.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Another two six-tier puppets were cut down by Lu Qinghe with the sword.
The remaining eight six-tier puppets were no longer able to pose a substantial threat to Lu Qinghe.
After some effort, the last eight six-tier puppets were all destroyed by Lu Qinghe.
"Hoo!"
When the core of the last six-tier puppet was shattered, Lu Qinghe breathed a long sigh of relief.
In the face of the siege by sixteen six-tier puppets, his physical and mental energies were at their peak. When the battle ended, whether it was physical strength, true qi, or spirit, all took a heavy toll.
"My true qi cultivation... has weakened a bit... and in the midst of the battle, I not only discovered shortcomings in close combat, but my body techniques are also somewhat lagging behind in progress..."
Without the visualization of the Blue Duckweed, this was already his limit.
Unless his true qi cultivation could reach the Sixth Layer of True Refinement, or he could refine a high-grade close-range combat technique or body technique to the extent of 20% or even 30%.
Moreover, he believed that even an ordinary Seventh Layer of True Refinement...
No, even those Eighth Layer of True Refinement practitioners who are not good at speed, when facing the siege of sixteen six-tier puppets, would also suffer defeat and be forced to retreat.
Enduring the onslaught of sixteen six-tier puppets, which are invulnerable to regular weapons, is too difficult, too difficult!
"Thirty-one... I am already over twenty years old, thirty-one puppet cores, unable to directly advance to the higher ranks... "
Thirty-one won't work!
So...
Fifty!
The Blue Duckweed sword shadows penetrate the minutiae!
Under such a special state, the thing he feared most was the siege of the same tier!